Why India?

The short answer: Why not?

The long answer: I just don't feel like I know enough about the country outside of the food and Indiana Jones.

This country holds one of the Earth's oldest civilizations and the country itself has always held an exotic air of mystery about it. I don't know how else to put it other than that.

As the days creep closer to departure, I am thinking about the number of shots I need and medical care I'll have to have before departure. I plan on bringing mosquito spray, a mosquito net, a water filter, and an open mind. I am going to want to experience the local cultures and behaviors. I know as a big guy and a Texan I'm going to stand out a bit, but I'd like to see how things are done and learn things about their schools, sports, free time, etc. I just want to learn!!!!

I've always had a pretty solid sense of myself as an American and as a Texan. I've not really understood how I fit into the world as a citizen of this planet. I've not traveled outside of the United States extensively. I've been to Hungary as my major moment of international travel experience. I've often watched my students struggle with the blinders of their social media and thinking that there isn't much else outside of the US. My brilliant wife pointed me in the direction of the IREX program Teachers for Global Classrooms. It is a professional development program that helps teachers gain the experience and skills to help their students gain a global understanding in their education. This in turn should help those students in understanding the world they will inherit in the future and hopefully breed a bit of understanding through the various cultures that they will come into contact with. As a result of this program, my teaching and approaches to education in general have evolved to include global impacts of government/global business actions, impacts of cultural interactions, reinterpretations of historical events through the "other side's" point of view, and a heavier emphasis on the students discovering the information. As a result of this, I've really enjoyed teaching this year and I think my students have as well. Student participation has gone up as well as scores on assessments. Their willingness to try and experiment with their learning styles and openness to being "wrong" once in awhile has also increased. I cannot say enough good things about what this program has done for me professionally.
I spent this fall in professional development with this organization developing lesson plans in an effort to be able to positively impact my students. Upon completion of this portion of the program, I was able to attend a symposium in Washington, D.C. that covered topics that dealt with global education and global competencies. The sweetest portion of this program, for me at least, is the opportunity that I have this summer. As part of this program teachers are sent overseas to various countries to gain first hand experiences in how education is done all across the globe!!!! I have the privileged to be apart of the  contingency that is going to India for two weeks this summer!!!! I'm really excited about going and have tried to do some research about this country and customs in preparation for it.  The excitement of going overseas to a country that is a mystery to me is excitement enough. But to be able to go to an area of the world and check a country off of my bucket list and gain valuable experience that will make me a better teacher is just the icing on the cake!!!

Disclaimer

This blog is not an official U.S.Department of State blog. The views and information presented are the grantee's own and do not represent the Teachers for Global Classrooms Program, IREX, or the U.S. Department of State.

Pretty clear.